Launched this week
Canary - A QR safety scanner
Inspect & score QR codes before your phone executes them
4 followers
Inspect & score QR codes before your phone executes them
4 followers
QRs are convenient, but they hide their instructions. Your phone acts before you can intervene, and scammers are taking advantage of that. Canary unpacks and scores a QR code before it touches your device - revealing the real destination, assessing its veracity, removing trackers, and flagging scams. You get a safety score and all the detail behind the code, then you decide if you continue. Canary is free - no signup, no ads, no user tracking.
QRs are so much more than just an image to shoot with your camera. Behind each code is a set of instructions that your phone will blindly execute. Normally it's a safe URL—which is why we scan without thinking—but QRs are also used to join Wi-Fi networks, process payments, add calendar events, trigger SMS messages, and more.
I’ve never trusted QR codes, even at restaurants—I'd always ask for a paper menu. 20 years in the cybersecurity industry has taught me to be skeptical, and I wanted a tool that would show me exactly what’s hidden behind the code before executing it. When my wife, kids and their friends said it was something they wanted too, I turned it into a real product.
Canary is my first self-published app on iOS and Android. I've started companies, managed dev teams, and shipped products before, but Canary is my first solo project.
It’s completely free, requires no signup, and does no user tracking. I pay for all back end infrastructure and API costs out of pocket. I’d love to hear your feedback, edge cases, or feature ideas!
Thanks, Product Hunt community!
Hi PH, Scomag here, I’m the one behind Canary 👋
The idea came from a personal itch — I don't trust QR codes. But they’re everywhere, and I wanted a way to see what they actually do before my phone acts on one.
Scanning QRs is reflexive - people just assume everything is good, so they open up their phone to whatever instructions the QR gives them. And QRs are much more than URL - they can be a payment, a Wi-Fi connection, a contact or calendar event added to your apps, even send messages.
Canary decodes all QR types, resolves the true destination, checks it, and gives a plain SAFE / VERIFY / DANGER verdict with the reasons, before you proceed. You get to decide before your phone executes.
And given the recent FTC alert telling people to "check the link for spelling mistakes or switched letters before you scan” based on increased financial scams behind fake QRs, the timing couldn’t be better. That manual check is exactly what Canary automates for you.
Canary is free on both Android and iOS — no signup, no accounts, no ads, no user tracking.
PH is a savvy crowd, so many of you may be more careful with your scans. But people in your life might not be as careful, they’re the ones to come to you for tech support when things go awry. That’s who Canary is for, and the model is built to encourage sharing. Free, no signup, no user tracking. Just a heads up before your phone acts on the QR. I’m anxious for any feedback - functionally if I’m missing something, or qualitatively if I get QRs wrong.
Thanks PH community
I've questioned the wisdom of a QR code link follow more than a few times in my life. Quishing is one of the easier hacking vectors these days. We're way too comfortable with them. Canary adds that layer of protection you need.
@alansp Thanks for the comment Alan, QRs are convenient for users and scammers alike. Knowing where the code goes before you click is like a speedbump for the bad guys, giving you a chance to verify before the phone executes. I appreciate the feedback.